YOUR FIFTY-FIVE PLUS WV @ Memorable projects to help connect to grandkids By Jane Muller It seems that every day has a second life as a special day. There are the traditional holidays and commemorative days and then there’s Donut Day and the like. Grandparents’ Day was added to the Canadian calendar in 1995, having originated in the United States in 1979. It's celebrated on the Sunday after Labour Day, which is September 11 in 2022. If your family is looking for ways to cel- ebrate Grandparents’ Day or if you simply want to do something fun and memorable with the grandkids, here are some activities to consider. You and Me Scrapbook: Create a scrap- book featuring photos of you and your grandchild. Create a baby page with colour copies of an image of each of you in your infancy. Include your birthdates and other details like where you were born and par- ents’ names. It’s a page where you can also include the number of years between your birth years. Other pages can feature siblings, travel, hobbies, family parties, pets and favou- rite things. The idea is to engage in a project together that strengthens connections and sparks conversations. You can each make your own book or share in the creation of one scrapbook for your grandchild to have as a keepsake. Kids should be encouraged to decorate the pages and add text. There are no rules for your intergenerational scrapbook except to allow the child involved to offer ideas and have fun spending time with their significant elder. Family Tree: Help your grandchildren to grow a family tree by providing information about past generations. The “Simple Family Tree” sheet that can be downloaded from Legacy Project at wwwiegacyproject.org/ activities/familytree and printed to provide a framework. Or simply start with the child’s name and birth information and branch out from there. This is a great time to discuss names and namesakes. Is there a meaning to a surname? Did a first or middle name get passed down through the family? Heritage Recipe: How about cooking up some family history by introducing grandkids to a favourite family recipe? You may have a recipe card that was handwritten by your mom or grandmother that you could pho- tocopy, laminate and pass along. Consider “translating” the cursive writing by hand- printing the recipe yourself or have the kids write it out in their own hand. Leave room on the page for the original recipe or use the reverse side of the photo copy of the original for the “translation” You could always type the recipe on your computer and print it. That also gives you a digital version of the recipe to share. Take a picture of the finished recipe and include that on their recipe page. The photo could also include you and your assistant(s). Cookies, biscuits, squares or muf- fins are great candidates for a baking session or recreate a traditional family pasta sauce or stew. Be sure the kids love the recipe as much as you do before creating the recipe project. You might need to go through a few samples to. come up with a keeper. For more ideas go to Legacyproject.org. STUDIO SUITES STARTING FROM Medium-Large Suite shown above Get more FOR LESS You want cosy and comfortable in a nice safe and quiet Neigh- bourhood with Oakville and Halton Region’s best value? Suites up to 962 square feet V for Vistamere. You'll find us nestled in south Oakville. And you owe it to your- self to see our delightful Studio Suites that go for just $2,925 a month. You'll be impressed with the generous size of our suites. Complete with lots of closet space, a 4-piece private bathroom, fully-equipped kitchenette, broadloom throughout and a walk- out patio. Perfect. Plus take advantage of our 60-day move-in timeline, it’s sure to be a stress reliever. Call 905.847.1413 to book a tour today. 380 Sherin Drive Oakville, Ontario L6L 4J3 905.847.1413 vistamere.ca RETIREMENT RESIDENCE a A z 5 : g Fi a 2 g 3 FI ES 8 8 woo"uoy}EYyapIsUl